Food Access Resources in Montana

Websites

Reports

Blackfeet Reservation Community Food Security & Food Sovereignty Assessment [PDF]
This document, the Blackfeet Reservation Community Food Security and Food Sovereignty Assessment (CFSA), was created for the use of FAST Blackfeet to further its mission of supporting community strengths, culture and wellness by developing local, sustainable systems that provide healthy food access and education at every age, for all who need it. FAST Blackfeet desires to work with all community organizations on the reservation to achieve its mission and is available to all organizations and individuals to help inform their work on behalf of the Blackfeet people.

Moving Toward Food Sovereignty: Assessing Food Systems on Montana’s Indian Reservations [PDF]
There’s a growing movement in Indian Country as Native people are producing their own traditional foods on their own lands to sustain themselves, their families, and their communities. After hundreds of years of influence and policy which has disrupted or destroyed traditional food practices, they are taking control of their own food systems and building more sustainable economies. Known as “Native Food Sovereignty,” the movement may hold the key to breaking the cycle of hunger, poor nutrition, and obesity-related diseases in Native American communities, as well as creating jobs and positive self-esteem. This paper assesses the current situation and the potential for food system projects on the seven Montana Indian reservations and offers suggestions for moving forward.

Childhood Hunger in Montana [PDF]
Hunger among American children doesn’t take the form of mass starvation, as it does in some developing countries. Instead, the signs of food deprivation appear in children (with the exception of infants) over a period of time. The consequences of childhood hunger are significant and include physical and/or mental health problems and lower academic achievement.

Childhood Obesity in Montana [PDF]
For the past 30 years, the rate of childhood obesity across the country has increased, doubling in children and quadrupling in adolescents. Montana’s overall childhood obesity rate is 29%, which is slightly below the national average of 31.3%.1 However, that still means over 220,000 kids in Montana are obese.

A 10-Step Plan to End Childhood Hunger [PDF]
The Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger’s 10-Step Plan works with existing programs and resources to identify opportunities and target solutions. There have been great strides made, but with more than 49,000 Montana children still facing food insecurity, we still have work to do.